Tuesday, November 22, 2011

NaNoWriMo #22: Pouring It Out

Today’s bit of inspiration comes from Alan Orloff. In addition to being the author of standalone and series mystery novels—Diamonds for the Dead, Killer Routine and, coming in January, Deadly Campaign—he’s also a writing instructor at The Writer’s Center in MD/VA/DC. You can read Alan’s blog here, or follow him on Facebook or Twitter.

“BICFOK – Butt in Chair, Fingers on Keyboard. The only way to get a finished manuscript is to finish it! Set up a schedule: daily, five-days-a-week, whatever, and stick to it. Do your time! Finish your quota! Eventually, you’ll have a first draft. It may stink, but then it’s time to really get to work—revisions!”

Alan’s advice gives me the opportunity to bring up Anne Lamott’s book, Bird by Bird, a great (and well-known) resource for writers. Her chapter “Shitty First Drafts” is a must-read. It explains why you need to give yourself permission to pour it out on the page for the first draft and is a perfect complement to what Alan said.